Tag Archives: The Rhino

It’s that time of year again, time to have your say in picking the top shopping spots, bars and restaurants throughout the City with NOW Magazine’s Best Of Toronto Reader’s Choice. Parkdale is full of great spots to shop, grab a bite or have drinks with friends and this year’s list of nominees prove that well. Take a few minutes to vote for your favourites and let the rest of Toronto know that Parkdale is the place to be!

Make the most of the end of summer by taking your special someone out for a night on the town! Not only does Parkdale have numerous award-winning restaurants and bars to choose from, but the neighbourhood can satisfy all your pre-date prep too. From hair stylists to high fashion, aestheticians to accessories, everything you need to get date ready is at your (newly polished) fingertips.

The only question that remains, ladies, is what kind of Parkdale date are you?

This girly girl likes to go all out, and lucky for her, Parkdale can be fabulous too! Wine her and dine her at Maialino Enoteca Italiana, followed by a contemporary art gallery party at General Hardware. She’ll be wearing a slinky backless dress from Shopgirls Gallery Boutique with handcrafted jewellery from Made You Look. Her date prep includes a glamorous full makeover package at Red Carpet Queen that covers all the bases: facial, manicure & pedicure, eyebrow wax, eyelash extension and so much more!

The Hip Girl

Starting the night with tacos and bourbon at Grand Electric, the hip girl knows to line up early at this high-energy hotspot. She’s wearing a vintage chambray button-down from Philistine, and her long hair hangs loose with ombré highlights from Fringe. Her date’s got on a silk-screen printed tee from The Public Butter and tattoos from Fabrizio Divari. After dinner the couple heads to Wrongbar to catch a concert and dance the night away.

The best part about summer is, arguably, dining al fresco. Whether you’re out for a full meal or a quick pint, nothing beats sitting in the sun on one of Toronto’s many patios. You don’t need to look far to find them – some of the best to be had are in your own backyard.

From Dufferin to Roncesvalles, here is a list of the licensed restaurants within the Parkdale Village BIA that have an outdoor patio:

Famous for its cow-in-martini-glass logo, Rustic Cosmo has been a Parkdale staple since 1995. Known for its delicious sandwiches, breakfasts and friendly, familiar faces, this little gem of a café has a charming little backyard patio too.

Asian-inspired cuisine and live DJs create a fun, party-like atmosphere in this resto-martini bar. With an intimate back patio complete with natural stone waterfall, The Parkdale Drink is a contemporary night-time neighbourhood destination.

This large backyard patio resembles a funky cottage-country deck and half of it is covered, which is perfect for inclement weather. The Caddy’s menu has undergone a delicious upgrade; try the microgreen house salad or any of their smoked meats. Addictive.

Though technically it’s a side patio, The Rhino’s outdoor seating area is one of two in Parkdale that faces the street. A perfect place for people watching, there’s ample room and more than 20 beers on tap to satisfy anyone’s taste. Plus, their menu is affordable, satisfyingly diverse and includes a section of “something on a stick.”

Hip tacos and bourbon joint, Grand Electric, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week (closed between 4-5:30pm). Their backyard patio, cozy with communal picnic tables, is currently pending approval by the City. Check back for more updates over the next few weeks on ParkdaleVillageBIA.com.

If you’re going to hit up a patio in Parkdale, you might as well take advantage of the resident Tibetan diaspora while you’re at it. Om serves up authentic Tibetan and Indian dishes – including delicious momos – and its large south-facing back patio is tucked away under the canopy of neighbouring trees.

Open from 7pm to close, Not My Dog offers a secluded back patio that’s only accessible through its basement. The Dog’s menu is incredibly affordable and surprisingly Asian-inspired (try the perfectly spicy chicken curry). There’s also live music.

One of the two Tibetan restaurants in Parkdale with a patio, Tibet Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner. In addition to Tibetan delicacies, Tibet Kitchen’s menu includes other Asian favourites like spring rolls and great deals on (spicy!) lunch specials too. Vegetarian friendly.

This casual backyard patio is a haven for local hipsters and hippies alike, with live music, a feel-good vibe, affordable pub grub and an infamous fish tank. Go here for a low-key pint with your Parkdale posse.

Casual pub The Sister (previously known as Mitzi’s Sister) has been a Parkdale favourite for years. Open at 4pm, their patio seats 40 and is the perfect place for a comforting daily special like roast beef dinner on Sundays, $5 Martini Mondays, half-price nachos on Tuesdays, and $12 pitchers of Great Lakes Golden Horseshoe on Thursdays. Plus, kids eat free Wednesdays until 7pm.

Coming soon is local owner/chef Peter Ramsay’s seafood joint Geraldine. This hot-spot will boast the second of only two front street patios along the Parkdale BIA strip and will surely please seafood aficionados looking for a twist!

The newest kid on the black, late night snack bar Food and Liquor has taken over the premises of patio favourite Poor John’s Café. Expect quality times from 5pm to close, Thursday to Monday, with a menu developed by chefs from Campagnolo and Victor at Hotel Le Germain.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this August, Amico’s offers reliable classic Italian pizzas (half-price on Wednesdays), pasta and sandwiches in a cozy restaurant with a backyard patio. The atmosphere is casual and family-friendly – plus, from Thursday to Saturday, it’s open until 4am.

Located at the west end of Parkdale’s Queen West strip, Local is an Italian kitchen and wine bar, specializing in house-made pasta and simple, locally-grown foods. Add to that a backyard patio and what’s not to love?

Don’t forget to join us at The Rhino this Wednesday (Feb 15th) from 7 – 10pm to learn some expert tips on how you can use Social Media to market your business! Featuring an interactive workshop by Social Media Maven Sue Edworthy. Grab one of the Rhino’s million kinds of delicious beers and follow along with Sue on your wireless devices.

Presented by the Parkdale Village BIA as part of Social Media Week Toronto.

The BIA presents Parkdale Connected on February 15th, 2012 as part of Social Media Week Toronto. This event aims to assist Parkdale business owners in the use of Social Media marketing, and will also serve as a general meeting for our membership. Parkdale Connected features Social Media Expert and Parkdale resident Sue Edworthy at 7pm in the upstairs meeting room at The Rhino (1249 Queen West).

Attendees are encouraged to bring their wireless devices to follow along as Sue facilitates an interactive workshop on the use of Facebook and Twitter as marketing tools to establish and maintain Parkdale BIA members’ small business online presence. At the end of the evening, participants will have learned what they need to create their own accounts and pages, types of campaigns they can use to increase business and profile, and worked with fellow BIA members to gain the perspective of both an “outside eye” coupled with the understanding of fellow small business owners.

Please take some time to complete this short survey on your businesses’ Social Media Usage by January 31st to help us serve you better.